Nancy Greiner

Nancy, a first-generation Luso-American, was born in historic New Bedford, Massachusetts where the spark that ignited her love of sewing and costumes began. Nancy has 18+ years of costume experience working as a professional healthcare clown at Children’s Hospitals in Boston, Providence, and Chicago for the Big Apple Circus, Healthy Humor, and Vaudeville Chicago. An award-winning costumer and Milliner, Nancy’s work can also be seen at local theaters such as Holland Community Theater, Central Park Players, and Master Arts Theater. Using her creative and colorful costumes, Nancy brings laughter and playful distraction to seniors in nursing care facilities along with music, magic, and more through her organization, The Funnybone Foundation. Nancy worked part-time as a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant for 17 years in elementary schools before moving to West Michigan in 2015. A competitive rower of American Beetle Boats, Azorean Whaleboats and Cornish Pilot Gigs, Nancy brought the love of rowing to the Grand Rapids area by forming the Great Lakes Currach Rowing Club. She Serves as West/Central Michigan Community Relations Coordinator, a year-round volunteer position, for Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child and formed a sewing group creating clothing and school items for impoverished children around the world. Nancy speaks fluent Portuguese, is a long-time member of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America, and when not at a sewing machine or doing hand embroidery work, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, gf baking, and sharing life’s adventures with her husband, Edward.